FICTION

Louisiana, the Jewel of the Deep South

by Johnette DOWNING
illus. by Julia Marshall. 32p. Pelican. 2015. Tr $16.99. ISBN 9781455620968.
COPY ISBN
K-Gr 2—Based on Downing's original song by the same name (eight measures appear on the last page), this picture book on Louisiana features spreads of Marshall's beautiful pen and watercolor illustrations. Readers see lively color brought to the text and diverse representations of children as well as plant and animal life. Unfortunately, the writing itself is little more than a list of facts, and the two to three sentences per page offer more caption than prose: "Brown pelican is the state bird. Catahoula is the state dog." French words and phrases are peppered throughout with no pronunciation guide or translation.
VERDICT An additional purchase for libraries where there may be local appeal.
Reviewed by Jennifer Wolf, Beaverton City Library, OR
The author makes a case for the beauty and virtues of Louisiana, noting the flora and fauna of the state as well as the friendliness of its people. The mundane book reads like a travel brochure. Pastoral illustrations provide some respite from the bland text ("Crawfish is the crustacean. Bald cypress is the state tree"). Music notation for the state song is appended. Timeline.
 , Nov 01, 2015

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